/ 7 July 2024

How to identify the best bookmakers in South Africa

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There are many to choose from, but a few checks should be made first

The online gambling industry is way more advanced than before. Creating a bookmaker from scratch has never been easier, as long as you have the funds for it. Some companies offer entire packages that allow clients to start their own business in a matter of weeks.

With that said, some countries are way better for an online bookmaker than others, and South Africa is an excellent example. This is a place where people can avail themselves of many different bookmakers. A lot of them are domestic, while others are registered outside the country but still offer their services.

Despite the fact that almost all bookmakers look similar, some provide a lot more things than others. It’s important to know how to identify those places because they can provide people with a much better overall experience, so let’s examine a couple of things.


Check the site’s experience

One of the key factors that a lot of people forget to check is the given gambling website’s experience. Users only pay attention to the site’s design because they want to use a company that looks good. There is nothing wrong with that, but the reality is that the experience is way more important.

The sports betting industry online is not new,  but it has undergone massive changes in the last couple of years. Many companies fail to adapt and change, so they are no longer available. Those that are still available, however, have proven that they are worth it.

South Africa is home to a dozen of these brands. A lot of them have more than 15 years of experience, which is a lot for an industry that changes every couple of months.

Make sure that you have enough betting options

South Africa is home to millions of people, and many of them bet on different kinds of sports. Sadly, many bookmakers do not offer all of them because they do not focus on the country. Instead, they change their design to appeal to local clients and provide the same services as operators that provide their services in other states.


The good news is that there are many exceptions, and professional reviews help us find them. Speaking of the devil, the analyses of the best bookies in South Africa reveal that there are more than a dozen big brands that offer things that locals are interested in. The number of options will be different, but bettors will always come across cricket, horse racing, football, and many other popular sports. 

What’s different about the best operators in South Africa is that they also provide enough markets for all of these sports. This is another big problem many punters do not realize until it’s too late. By choosing some of the best operators in South Africa, players can always find at least a couple of different markets.

Compare the mobile platforms

South Africa is a country where sports bettors use different devices to access the products they want. Many of them are interested in desktop websites and rely on them, but others do not have access to computers. Therefore, the only way for users to place bets on something is by using a handheld device.

Many gambling websites in South Africa realise this and offer quality mobile products. Others, however, have  terrible looking mobile sites and apps that do not allow bettors to have a solid experience. That’s why this is among the departments that everyone has to check beforehand.

When comparing different mobile betting platforms, you should check the mobile operating systems they work for. The best bookies in South Africa have apps for Android and iOS and a mobile website. The latter is available for every operating system and does not require clients to install any applications.

If you decide to use the apps, you should check everything they have. Learning more about the updates and seeing if the app gets new features and options is also important. This is a solid sign that the given company is worth it. 

See what others think about the gambling operator

The fact that many online bookmakers have been around for ages means that they have loads of customers. Some of them will be from South Africa, and they will have something to say. 

The bad news is that learning more information about some companies is not that easy. Since social media is very popular, there are not many forums left, so people need to look for more information on Facebook and other social media channels. 

Fortunately, places like Reddit can be a solid source of information for people who want to learn more about specific bookies. This place can give them a good idea of what they can expect, but people who read them have to be able to filter out the information that won’t be helpful. 

Regardless of the bookmaker, there will always be negative comments about it. People will complain about different things, but you should always put the information to the test. For example, there are many cases where gamblers in South Africa complain that a given bookie tries to scam them, but the reality is different.

Final thoughts

South African sports fans are lucky because they can choose from numerous world-class bookmakers. Selecting the best operator is key and can have a crucial impact on your overall experience. That’s why we recommend you take your time and analyse at least a couple of different brands.